1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for three dimensional printing.
2. Background of the Related Art
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a process of making a three-dimensional object from a digital model using an additive process, where successive layers of material are laid down over previous layers. The material may be a thermoplastic polymer filament that is heated and extruded through a narrow nozzle. In one type of three dimensional printer, the nozzle, the table supporting the material, or both is moved to control where the material is deposited. Other types of three dimensional printers may use alternative mechanisms to control the position of a nozzle for dispensing the material.
3D printing has become a large industry with a growing number of printer manufacturers and web sites that provide construction plans in the form of a data file for downloading to a computer. Unfortunately, 3D printing is much more complex than 2D printing and requires much more time to produce an object. Objects that are printed at a fine level of detail or have significant size can take many hours to complete.
Various three-dimensional printing processes include Stereolithography (SLA), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Robocasting, Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS), Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), and Electron Beam Melting (EBM). The size of the three-dimensional printer determines the maximum size of an object that may be printed. If a larger object is desired, multiple parts of the object within the size limitations of the printer may be printed and then manually assembled together.